Legacy of Rayshrokein: The Demon King Chap 2
by Alchemygirl2006
Summary: The Stranger, now identified as Hayden, finds himself alone in his room. Suddenly he hears a knock at the door and soon finds his growing reputation is still following him...


CHAPTER 2

Hayden felt at home lost in the shadows of the sky-reaching trees shrouding the balcony.

The moons of Theora hung below the ceiling of dark clouds. The smaller of the two hovered gently over its brother. The combined moonlight played with the shadows of the houses in the village: watching a family enter their home together and a woman being mugged.

The night was crisp and Hayden's bones rattled beneath his skin. Hayden's cape ignored the playful breeze and it lied lifeless at his side. His wispy bang across his face annoyed him. Hayden scanned the sleeping landscape – he envied it.

The young man returned to his room beyond the open double doors. He drew his sword watched the blade shine in tainted moonlight. He dropped it against the dresser in his room. He grabbed a green woven blanket off a rocking chair and covered the mirror of the dresser. He sat on the edge of the two-person bed and began rubbing his temples with the thumb and adjacent finger of his right hand. The leather scratched his eyes, they started stinging. He peeled his glove from his hand and tried soothing the irritation.

Suddenly he stopped, as if shocked by lightning. He looked towards the wooden dresser across from him. A thick cotton blanket had been thrown over the mirror and the desk itself was dusty and stained. But his eyes were interested in something else. His stare drifted to his unsheathed sword, catching delicate moonlight – and Hayden's reflection.

Hayden watched the man staring back from the blade. His shoulders slouched and black circles encased his dulling eyes. But what disgusted Hayden most about him was his hand.

Hayden examined his own bare hand. Scars wrapped themselves around his hand. The skin was rough and tainted by one large scar lying across the back of the hand.

Hayden cringed with emotional pain. He retrieved his glove quickly and stuffed his hand inside violently. He swung out with his other hand, sending the blade clanging to the floor. Hayden jumped to his feet with a wave of his cape and began pacing by the window. He suppressed the face of a small, silver eyed boy who fought against his mind. Hayden began running his leather fingers through his hair. Each step was firm and hateful. Slowly, he came to a stop by the window.

"Argh!" – He attacked the wall with his fist, his cape flailing behind him.

He stood stiff and emotionless, looking at his aching hand.

"Damn…" was all he could muster.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his door, followed by a scraping noise just outside.

"Drunken bastards," Hayden grumbled. He envisioned the two brutes from earlier standing outside waiting to ambush the legendary silver haired wanderer. "Wasn't getting their asses kicked once tonight enough?"

Hayden walked to the door casually and opened it. There was no one there.

"What the…" – Hayden was interrupted by the sickening sound of metal scraping against metal, followed by the threatening noise of daggers being dropped on the wooden floors. The two echoes came one after another in a footstep like pattern. It was coming from behind the right corner at the end of the hallway.

Hayden's face went sickly. Between the metal cries, he heard his heart beat violently. "No… not again."

Slowly, Hayden eased himself to the end of the hall, holding the wall close. His mouth turned to ash and his hands were unsteady. His heart kicked at his chest – trying to escape.

His boot sole was squeaking. Suddenly his foot slipped from under him. He fell to his right knee, stopping his fall with his left fist. He wiped the sweat from his bow, replacing his left hand against the wall to re-steady himself.

Then it was like a knife had stabbed his heart. His angry heart leapt into his throat – smothering him. There was blood on the floor, seeping through the lines in the wood. The trail of human life led behind the corner.

His lungs choked and delayed his breathing. His skin erupted with white fear bumps. His eyes became full moons – hollow like an eclipse.

He gave a hesitated glance to the end of the hall. Hayden turned quickly, slipping in the blood and ramming into the opposite wall. Shaken, he ran in the direction opposite to the bloody path.

Suddenly something caught the tail of his cape. Hayden was strangled by the collar and reached to relieve it. Hayden was then swiftly lifted from the ground. A moment of shock passed quickly. Hayden began struggling – pulling at the collar of his cape desperately.

As Hayden shook his body in a feeble attempt to free him self, a thick liquid fell and oozed down his shoulder. It was warm, clear and smelt sour like death. Hayden then knew what had him. Hayden arched his head up slowly, dreading what he knew he'd find.

Above him, clinging to the ceiling, was the most terrifying beast Hayden had and any mortal would ever encounter. Its eyes were jaundice and so soulless that they were hypnotic. Its body was made of shining, onyx black plates. It was muscular and powerful looking, with an anorexic waist and a long, curved neck. The creature's horns curled at the side of his head. Its jaw was long and definitely powerful, and the thick, decayed tongue even longer – lashing side to side. Rows of murderous teeth lined its destructive mouth and were stained with blood. Each of its toes were shaped like a farmer's sickle and made of a black, metallic metal. His tail was what Hayden had learned to like least. The tail was thick and powerful, slowly thinning into a swift and deadly whip.

Hayden watched the creature sway its tongue above him with absolute horror. Hayden was paralyzed and the creature stood motionless watching Hayden closely. The creature's eyes widened. It flashed it's teeth dementedly, as if to smile. Suddenly it screeched an ear piecing scream that echoed in Hayden's skull. The eyes lit with fury and primal instinct. His open paw came slicing towards Hayden's throat.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" – Hayden swung his legs and twisted sideways. The talons ripped through the cloak and scathed Hayden's neck. Hayden fell hard on the floor.

There was no time for pain. Hayden lifted his aching corpse from the floorboards. Adrenaline surged through his body – numbing the pain of his wound. Clenching his gasping throat, he experimented with his paralyzed feet, searching for friction on the blood pools. Semi-sturdy, Hayden took off in a mad sprint for the other end of the hall.

Hayden scurried down the dimly lit hall, the monster's cry echoing in the background as it tore the cape to shreds.

Suddenly, Hayden vaulted forward – crashing on the floor with a deafening thud.

He looked back to see what had tripped him.

Sickness launched into his mouth. He turned and choked in an attempt not to vomit.

The pieces of the two men from earlier littered the ground, scattered about on the dark floors.

"No… Why is this happening?"

The creature slithered around the corner, its claws singing: click, click, click. Its head was down, eyes locked on Hayden. He studied the frightened boy, his tongue twitching.

"What… What the hell do you want from me?" Hayden screamed at the beast.

The monster responded with a ferocious cry, leaning its head back. The creature lunged at Hayden.

Hayden rolled aside, free from the path of destruction. He hissed with pain, holding his wound.

The monster landed next to him and continued in a saunter. Hayden dashed in the opposite direction of the monster.

There was a thud against Hayden's chest. The monster's tail pounded Hayden's ribcage with the force of an executioner's axe. Air was forced from Hayden's crushed lungs. He hung in the air, finally fell and bounced off the floor. The ceiling turned to a hallucination of waves and colour from the pain in his head. He shook the nonsense from his brain and sat up.

The whip-like end of the tail took Hayden's neck like a noose. Hayden's head hit the ceiling as he was heaved skyward. He grunted as the blood rushed to his head. His teeth chattered together with the blow.

Close to un-consciousness, Hayden watched the hissing creature. The monster bared its teeth with delight.

Then inspiration struck, Hayden grabbed the lantern on the wall. He threw the object at the monster. There was a flash of flames and the mildew on the old walls caught fire quickly. The other lanterns on the wall exploded. The fires joined in a wonderful inferno around the beast. The monster screeched a horrible sound.

The tail released Hayden. He fell to a roll. Soon on his feet, he took off away from the growing flames.

Suddenly from the fire, the creature pounced - claws catching a few stray silver hairs.

Hayden ran violently towards his room. The clicking of the monster's talons quickened as it chased Hayden.

The door was still open. Hayden fell into his room, the monster screeching to a halt where Hayden had just been. It screamed at Hayden. It swallowed then spat a large orb of black filth at Hayden. He moved away. The black concoction burned away the balcony doors.

Hayden grabbed his blade lying on the floor. He landed on one knee, pointing his shinning, trademark blade at the creature.

"Now… where were we, huh?"

The monster bowed its head and hissed.

Hayden returned to his feet, staring into the monster with his powerful eyes.

"You got to get a hobby besides chasing me, you hear me?"

The monster jumped at Hayden again. Hayden ducked - the monster missed him, falling against the wall – it heaving beneath the creature's weight. It roared in frustration and came at him with equal aggression. The monster passed his jaws by Hayden's arm. He tossed the blade to the attacked hand. Hayden sliced through the right side of the monster as it passed by.

The monster labored as it landed. Black ooze – different from the monster's spit - fell from the wound and gathered on the floors. It bubbled and ate the first layers of the wood.

"Huh? What the hell is that?"

The beast looked at Hayden, an anger and resentment swelling in its eyes.

"What's wrong? Don't let me discourage you from ripping my guts out."

The beast snarled. The fire made it's appearance suddenly, growing behind the creature.

"Uh oh. So much for the inn," Hayden thought as he watched the flames rip through the walls of his room.

The beast attacked in the moment of distraction. It heaved Hayden's torso with its powerful head. Hayden was thrown backwards through the gap created by the monster's attack. Hayden lost the grip on his blade as he fell from the third floor of the inn to the cold ground outside.


End file.
